Electron trapping in alcohol clusters in γ-irradiated n-propanol–hydrocarbon glasses at 77 K

Abstract

A study has been made of trapped electrons in n-propanol–hydrocarbon mixture glasses at 77 K by the optical absorption method. The yields of electrons trapped in alcohol clusters (ealc−) were measured for several γ-irradiated n-propanol–hydrocarbon glasses, where the yields of trapped electrons in these neat hydrocarbon glasses at 77 K are known to range from 0.015 to 1.1 G units. The results show that the yields of ealc– in the mixture glasses do not depend on the trapped electron yields in neat hydrocarbon glasses. Thus, it is concluded that electron migration from relaxed hydrocarbon matrix traps into alcohol clusters is not the major process for ealc− formation in the systems studied here. The major process for ealc− formation may be attributed to quasi-free electron scavenging by alcohol clusters and electron migration from unrelaxed hydrocarbon traps into alcohol clusters. Both ir-induced and isothermal changes in the ealc− yield have also been investigated. These investigations indicate that there is a correlation between the observed change in the ealc− yield and the matrix viscosity.